Higher than Everest: Tendi Sherpa: A Lifetime of Climbing the World

By Flore Dussey

A biography of the life and extraordinary summits of a professional Nepalese mountaineer.

Higher than Everest paints an uncompromising portrait of Tendi Sherpa, who has successfully climbed twenty-one mountains over 8,000m, including fourteen ascents of Everest. This young father, part of the elite group of Nepalese guides, embodies the new generation of Sherpas who are taking their destiny into their own hands. In the numerous conferences he holds throughout the world, he never hesitates to denounce the amateurism and obsession of certain people determined to climb Everest, as well as the over-crowding of the sacred Himalayan mountains. As a child, the man who would go on to save many lives on the Roof of the World once dreamed of becoming a monk, and from his years at the monastery, he still retains a deep attachment to Buddhism and its many rituals. Resolutely looking towards the future, but also concerned about respecting the environment and traditions, Tendi regularly returns to the secluded valley of Khembalung, the land of his ancestors, never forgetting where it is he has come from.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Nov 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9781399064200

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

THIS SHORT INTRODUCTION to the Sherpas and their culture aims to provide additional elements of understanding to the reader.

Sherpas

On 29 May 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest. No one before had ever climbed so high. Tenzing Norgay became a legend, and other Sherpas would follow in the footsteps of this hero, setting all kinds of records. Indeed, most commercial expeditions undertaken in the Himalayas would be impossible without them, whether as guides or porters.

Today, these men, and sometimes women, work far beyond the Himalayan range. Consequently, the term sherpa is often used incorrectly and deserves to be clarified.

Definition:

Sherpa (with a capital ‘S’)

A member of the Sherpa ethnic group, but also the family name of members of this same ethnic group. The women are commonly called Sherpani, but their surname remains Sherpa.

Sherpa (with a capital ‘S’)

Sherpas have their own language, Sherpa, which is close to Tibetan. However, the language is starting to die out and Nepali is commonly used for commerce and the tourism sector.

sherpa (with a lower-case ‘s’)

The word sherpa is generally used to designate porters, especially since most are from other ethnic groups such as Rais, Tamangs, Gurungs, Magars or Newars. Hindus can also carry out this role. However, summiters and high-altitude workers are mainly Sherpas.

Origins:

Sherpas are members of an ethnic group that migrated from Kham province in eastern Tibet to Nepal, approximately 500 years ago. The word sherpa means people (pa) of the east (sher). Due to the lack of any written evidence on the history of the Sherpas, the reason behind their migration is a complex issue and was possibly due to religious or politicosocial tensions with the Mongols present in Tibetan territory. The Sherpa people migrated gradually to Nepal, a distance of 2,000 km, from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, which naturally involved crossing the high Himalayan passes. The first families settled in Khumbu, then in Pharak and Solu, with successive waves also settling in the Rolwaling Valley and as far as the Arun Valley. Meanwhile, other populations settled in Helambu, north of Kathmandu.

Occupations:

Historically, Sherpas lived mainly from agriculture and animal husbandry, growing barley and a variety of millets (small-seeded cereal crops). The potato, which can be grown up to 4,000 metres above sea level, was introduced by the British in the mid-nineteenth century. This improvement in nutrition had long-lasting effects, with the Sherpa population increasing five-fold in the last 150 years.

Many Sherpas raised yaks, which roamed the high pastures above 5,000 metres. From the first ‘Western’ mountaineering expeditions to the Himalayas, these men, accustomed to such harsh conditions, constituted the ideal workforce for expeditions and other treks, and have since become true mountain professionals. Tourism has changed their lives considerably. Many have given up farming, drawn by the possibility of the additional benefits that can be gained from this new sector. Some have abandoned their lands completely to settle in Kathmandu, and while some have achieved high-ranking positions such as agency heads, sirdar, or owners and operators of lodges on the expedition routes, there are others who must content themselves with more menial roles and lead a miserable life. Indeed, the amount of money earned from four or five expeditions per year is nowhere near enough to live in the capital, where prices are often well above their means.

Castes:

Socially, Nepal is organized hereditarily, according to the Hindu caste system.¹ Marriages are generally arranged between people of the same caste, but of different tribes, with the Brahmin and Chhetri ethnic groups largely dominating Nepalese political and intellectual life.² Today, however, the Sherpas believe that they can speak as equals with members of these high castes.

Religion:

Sherpas practice the ancient tantric Buddhist religion, also known as Tibetan Buddhism. They honour many deities during rites that punctuate a calendar specific to them, and their festivities aim to attract the favours and protection of these benevolent spirits against other harmful entities.³ Very superstitious, they believe in the existence of evil spirits here on Earth. Shamanic practices are common, and through trances and rituals, shamans can diagnose illnesses, heal, or practice divination.⁴

There are many monasteries in Sherpa country and it is not only celibate monks who live there, but also married men and women, widows, and widowers. Some settle there permanently, while others only stay there for a few weeks. The clergy is also made up of numerous village lamas (priests, single or married, who preside over many Buddhist rituals and festivities punctuating the lives of Sherpas, and who teach Tibetan Buddhism), who officiate in a gompa (Buddhist place of worship). They are generally married men and fathers of families who have acquired elementary religious knowledge in order to read mantras and lead religious ceremonies. These men are generally highly respected and thus called upon in the event of illness to chase away evil spirits which, according to them, are the cause of all evil.

In addition to their religious practices, the nuns generally take part in the work of agriculture and animal husbandry, and many single or widowed women join these communities.

Religion is omnipresent in the lives of Sherpas. Chorten, or Stupa (Buddhist monuments containing relics or sacred texts that sanctify and protect the places they are built), Mani walls (stones engraved with Buddhist prayers), windmills and prayer flags line the paths and villages. Each house, meanwhile, has a family altar.

The first Westerners who came to explore the Himalayan peaks discovered a pious people, but they were above all taken back by the exceptional physical qualities of the Sherpas, who have since then provided essential support for all expeditions. Exposed to high altitude for multiple generations, they are particularly well adapted to the harsh living conditions found there and have even adapted genetically as a result. The Sherpa people have a reputation for being brave, tireless and dedicated, and while this is true for many of them, they also experience many of the same issues that other communities have to deal with.

Today, Sherpas live between tradition and modernity. Tendi Sherpa, an internationally recognized mountain guide, constantly moves between these two worlds. Mobile phone in hand, not to mention several thousand followers on social media, he maintains the ability to isolate himself for hours in meditation and his connection to Buddha is, unquestionably, at the heart of his life.

Map of East Nepal.

Map showing the ascent of Everest via the south route.

¹Lemaire, S-A., Organisation de la société népalaise , Zone Himalaya, A la découverte du Népal et de l’Himalaya (2012) www.zonehimalaya.net/Nepal/moeurs.htm

²Béguin, G., Cailmail, B., Durand-Dastès, F., Gaborieau, M., Petech, L., Ramirez, P., Népal Groupes ethniques et castes , Universalis (2022) https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/nepal/2-groupes-ethniques-et-castes/$

³Hanson, F. A., ‘The Semiotics of Ritual’, Semiotica , 33(1/2), pp. 169-178.

⁴Ortner, S. B., ‘The Case of the Disappearing Shamans, or no Individualism, no Relationalism’, Ethos , 23(3), 355-390 (1995), pp. 357-8.

PART ONE

CHAPTER ONE

GABBY’S REMARKABLE FEAT

NO ASCENT IN NEPAL BEGINS without the puja ritual; a Buddhist incantation in the mountains, the exact dates of which are dictated by the Tibetan calendar. Tendi Sherpa is always delighted to share this special ceremony with all the teams present at base camp. In the 2022 season, 316 mountaineers have been given permits to climb Everest, 92 fewer than in 2021, a record year. This is rather good news for Tendi, because finding yourself in a crowd on top of the world is not an easy task.

The weather is calm on 19 April, as Westerners and Sherpas gather around the stone chorten, some sitting on chairs, others preferring to stand. Tendi takes his two Australian clients, Jane and Gabby, from the organization ‘Climbing The Seven Summits’ (CTSS), by the arm and whispers in their ear:

‘Puja always brings me great inner peace. You’ll see, it’ll take us to the top.’

The lama kicks off the ceremony by ringing a bell, its vibrant sound acting as an appeal to the gods. The puja allows the climbers to present themselves to the Himalayan mountains in all humility, as the men and women who dream of conquering Everest ask the gods for permission and protection in crossing their otherwise inaccessible kingdom. Jane closes her eyes and lets herself be invaded by the metallic sound of the cymbals. Meanwhile, Gabby, her 19-year-old daughter, keeps her eyes wide open so as not to miss out on this solemn moment.

Cut flowers and foodstuffs are placed near an altar as offerings, as Tibetan music plays over the reading of mantras; the sacred utterances in Sanskrit that take the form of simple syllables or sentences and possess a particular spiritual power, often used for ritual purposes, protection, invocation as well as meditation. As this is taking place, Tendi sets fire to a juniper branch and incense sticks, reciting prayers as he goes along.

During the ceremony, a pole is erected in the middle of the camp, with dozens of prayer flags emanating from the centre. Spiritual thoughts are imprinted on each square of coloured fabric and when the wind blows, they fly away towards those who need them most. The mountaineers next bring forward their helmets, ice axes, shoes, crampons, ropes and harnesses to be blessed. Some even hand over more personal items, such as their child’s comforter.

The two lamas pass a khata around each person’s neck. This prayer scarf, symbolizing good omens and compassion, is traditionally made from white silk and is offered as a sign of benevolence. Next, a red and orange string is added, before the procession ends with the throwing of lucky grains of rice. In the same spirit, Tendi surprises Gabby by rubbing flour on her face. Everyone laughs and starts to do the same. The two hours it has taken to perform the rites will undoubtedly be enough to appease the mountain gods, and thus obtain their permission to climb the 8,000 metres to the top. All signals are go for a good climb.

This is the second time Gabby and Jane have been at Everest base camp. Their adventure had begun when the teenager was just 14 and her father, Jarrod, had asked what her craziest dream was:

‘Actually, I’d really like to climb Everest!’

Jarrod replied, tit for tat, ‘OK, well you might as well start preparing for it right away.’

Eight weeks later, Gabby and her mother were trekking to the base camp of the mythical Nepalese-Tibetan peak. The young girl walked quickly, adjusting to the altitude remarkably well. As far as Gabby was concerned, growing up meant a life full of sports, and from an early age physical activity had been an integral part of her education, including triathlon, climbing, swimming and indoor gym sessions.

According to Gabby’s philosophy, before climbing the highest mountain in the world, you had to prove yourself first. So she began her apprenticeship as a summiter by climbing a 4,000 peak on the Malaysian island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Back in Oceania, she rubbed shoulders with the New Zealand mountains through an intensive mountaineering course, her passion for the mountains growing by the day. However, she still lacked the experience of high altitudes, so she returned to Nepal and exceeded 6,000 metres three times, without oxygen, by easily climbing Island Peak with her father. Six months later, she conquered Mera Peak, then the western pass of Baruntse.

That same year, 2019, Gabby entered the history books by becoming the youngest woman to summit the 8,201 metres of Cho Oyu when she was only 16 years old. Her extraordinary achievements were not only relayed at home in Australia, but also in the specialist press.

In spring 2022, Jane agrees to accompany her daughter to Everest. Tendi will be Gabby’s official guide, while Jane will team up with Pasang, the Sherpa with whom Gabby climbed Cho Oyu three years earlier. Jane knows that her daughter is in good hands with Tendi. Before embarking on the adventure, Mike Hamill, the director of CTSS, had spoken to her at length about the extraordinary abilities of this 38-year-old Nepalese man who had worked for him for many years.

After several weeks of acclimatization, the assault on Mount Everest can finally begin. Before leaving base camp, however, Gabby addresses one of her sponsors in a video that she immediately posts on social media:

‘Hey, Belle. Hey, Sam. I hope everything’s good back in Australia. I’m definitely missing home, but I’m super excited to be here. Mum’s also smashing it, which is great! I just wanted to say thanks again for all the support you guys have provided to help bring my dream to life.’

At 6 am on 10 May, the two parties leave base camp (5,365m), hoping that four days later they will reach 8,848m and have climbed the highest mountain in the world. Tendi has devoted time to help his young client mentally prepare for what is to come. First, he explained each of the risks involved: the dangers of ice climbing, the risk of avalanches, the cold, managing fatigue, the lack of sleep and oxygen, before finally moving into the death zone above 8,000m. He then tried to get to the bottom of what it was that motivated her to do this. Trying to find answers within yourself is never easy and usually stirs up plenty of emotion, so it is with a trembling voice that Gabby recounts her school years where her self-confidence was often very low. Tendi understands that sometimes, in order to fulfill oneself, you have to prove to certain people what you’re capable of, almost as a rite of passage. Besides, when Gabby makes a promise, she goes to great lengths to keep it, not just for her, but for her parents, who have committed huge resources to this expedition, and for all those who have supported her both emotionally and financially in her quest. She sees it as her duty to succeed.

The ability of her guide to listen to what she says touches Gabby deeply. Indeed, during the last phone call to her father before beginning the ascent, she told him:

‘Don’t worry, Dad. I have complete faith in Tendi. I feel like he knows me better than anyone. It’s like he can read my mind. He’s an absolute pro and will take good care of me. I’m so lucky to have him by my side.’

In the endless climb to the top, Jane starts to suffer from the altitude but continues to fulfill her role as mother, friend, confidante, and coach. Although the pair were already very close, a new bond has now been woven between mother and daughter. Jane knows that her eldest daughter suffers from the absence of her siblings, her friends, and Monty, her dog. Despite this, she also knows that Gabby is